Prescription Drugs: Are You Dealing Drugs to Your Child?

Since 1992, there has been a drastic increase in the number of teens who abuse drugs and alcohol. The surprising fact is that a large portion of the drugs are prescription drugs - not cocaine, crack or heroin, the street drugs we are taught to fear. Our children are now getting their highs straight from their own homes and without spending any money.

Studies now show that parents may be teaching these behaviors to their children without even realizing it. Just as a child who grows up in a home where alcohol is abused is more inclined to abuse alcohol, the child who grows up in a home where mom or dad pops a pill for every ache or pain or worse yet for every life crisis is more likely to view prescription drugs as okay. When your child sees you take a Valium to calm down on a regular basis the idea is set in his mind that if he has a stressful day it's okay to take a pill. If his head hurts it's okay to reach for the narcotic pain meds. This is a learned behavior that only parents can change.

The practice of taking mom and dad's medications to try and get a high has turned into a dangerous party event for teenagers. According to www.drugrehabtreatment.com, teens are having 'pharm parties' - parties where they raid the medicine cabinets at home and put all the pills into a big bowl. This mixture of pills is then passed around or dipped into much like one would snack on a handful of candy. Only this is not candy and it is deadly.

With absolutely no medical knowledge of what drugs they are mixing they ingest handfuls of pills to experience whatever high they can. Each time they attend a 'pharm party' their high is a different high. The next one could be their last one. Teens do not realize that mixing medications can be deadly - they are only looking for that high.

Parents need to be more aware of their actions and explain that prescription medication can be a drug when used improperly. Realize that your children are watching you for guidance, you are their role model. It's not enough to be a "do as I say, not as I do" parent. They are watching your every action. If they see you acting differently after taking medications, they will store that information away in their mind. Keep the prescriptions in a safe, secure place; only take medications when you have to and then don't make it a 'look at what I am doing' scene. Above all, be involved in your child's life; be as intrusive and nosey as you need to be. Don't be your child's drug dealer.